Giant Deadly Snail Found In Texas Garden

A giant, deadly snail was found in a Texas woman’s garden recently, and researchers are worried that a strain of meningitis will be spread if more of the creatures are discovered.

The snail in question was spotted by a woman in her Houston backyard; luckily, she didn’t touch it, but only snapped a picture of it to show wildlife officials. Now, researchers at Sam Houston State University are wondering how the giant African snail got there and if there are more wandering around. As of now, the original is out there somewhere, because it got away before it could be captured.

“Unfortunately, humans are picking the snails up,” said Dr. Autumn J. Smith-Herron, the director of the Institute for the Study of Invasive Species at Sam Houston State University. “They carry a parasitic disease that can cause a lot of harm to humans and sometimes even death.”

The species is the same one that invaded Florida recently and began destroying crops and even homes. Because they multiply faster than Gremlins–they can lay up to 1,200 eggs a year–it’s extremely difficult to get rid of them once they settle in. Reportedly, a boy brought three home from Hawaii to keep as pets in the ’60s and started an infestation of 18,000 that took nine years to battle.

Because their appearance is so out-of-the-ordinary, there’s a danger of children picking them up to play with them. Everyone is urged not to touch the snails and to tell their children to leave them alone should they spot one. If one is seen, contact the Institute for the Study of Invasive Species immediately.

The article tells you not to touch or handle them. So why include pictures of a person holding one in each hand with no gloves on.

Shaggy247365

Shoot, just pick them thangs up with some tongs, toss’em in some white wine with parsley and butter and cook’em ’till they’re done. Kill all those little larve before you eat’em. Or better yet, catch’em and send’em to France.

http://yahoo.com mike johnson

If these guys can harm us the answer is painfully simple.
SALT.TONS OF IT. but who’s to say that the would not be immune
to the stuff? at that size only god knows.

ct

You can handle them. What’s pathogenic are the larve if injested.

http://yahoo.com donna hanko

I agree with you Sabrina, what the H are they thinking!!!! In a way,I do think that it is funny that the one snail got away. It must have “ran away”,snails only have one speed,,,”slow”, hahahaaaa.. I know that this is very serious but, it just sounded funny..

Sylvia

Damn that is huge!!! WOW

C Tran

What do I think. I think Sabrina is dead on and you guys are making the problem worse if someone doesn’t happen to read every word of this article. Take off the bloody picture and the video.

c

its an african snail. those things are fast

Rodrigo

There not exactly “The world’s fastest land animal” …… I mean these things bear absolutley NO resemblance to the Cheetah. How hard can they be to eradicate? My Grandmother can outrun one them using her walker.

And, what is with dude holding two of them with NO protective gear on if they are so “contagiuos” ? Maybe it’s another Government plot to call in the military and have Jack-Booted soldiers and Marines running around in our backyards ready to “Blow them away” with M-4 Assault carbines ……. hmmmmm mighty suspicious.

cristen

didnt she say not to touch it?! im confused. why would yahoo sponser an article like this that makes no sense?

annie

I don’t get why these articles are published without someone doing damage/quality control! As most of you have already noted – it makes no sense to publish this with these pictures and then mention in the article not once but twice not to touch it!!

Eugene

Like they say “everything’s bigger in Texas”

joe

It got away? haha

Jamie

Uh oh! If a sinkhole doesn’t get you, a “killer snail” will, LOL! We are doomed one way or the other; I bet the next thing the news will report is that you can’t even outrun these monsters! Wait, the story said that one of them got away already. Maybe they are right…supersonic snails!

http://live.com jace

Lol the movie turbo

Daisy

This is complete nonsense and propaganda. I grew up in Africa, with these animals. I also ate them as did most people. I never heard of anyone getting meningitis from them. Complete PROPAGANDA.
Their overpopulation is a human-made problem. Just like with Burmese pythons, Iguanas and feral pigs.
Humans need to take responsibility for our actions and stop letting animals suffer and be killed due to our STUPIDITY!

jimmy cricket

some kind of infectous disease has escaped the lab again and when people go to getting sick, that’s all they have to blame it on is snails.

LATISHA YOUNG

JUST DISGUSTING…UGGGGHHHH

http://live.com jace

Me and my dad found like 4 or 5 of these at Stephen F. Austin State Park on October 13, 2013 during the government shutdown right after the HUGE flash flood at the park. They were smaller then the ones pictured in the video

http://chewygranolamomma.blogspot.com Katie.

I had one of these for a pet for like 5 years. Bought it from the pet store. it got huge. Snaily. He helped me do laundry. (Okay, he sat on the top of the dryer while I folded laundry, but whatever.)
This story sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me!!